Leak-locating detector for pneumatic tires.



LOUIS THIEM, 0F TOLEDO, oHIo.

lEAK-LOCATING DETECTOR FOB PNEUMATIC TIRES.

Speoieation of Letters Patent. Patented J unel, 1918.

Appueanon mea January 2, 191s. serial No. 210,053.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, Lome THIEM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Leak-Locating Detectors for Pneumatic Tires, of which the following is a specication.

detector for pneumatic tires, and has for its object to provide. a device of the kind that is adapted to be readil attached to the valve stem of the inner tu e of a pneumatic tire, showing loss of air preure, and when so attached to indicate whether the loss of air isdue to a leak in the valve of the inner tube,

` or'to a puncture of the inner tube, whereby,

if shown to be in the valve, unnecessary removal of the tire casing from the rim is avoided.y A

I accomplish these objects by the construction and combination of' parts, as hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in

Figure 1 is a diametric section of a leak detector constructed in accordance with my invention in position attached to the valveI 'stem of the inner tube, and longitudinally of' the stem, and showing a cross section of the rim and partly collapsed vtire of." an auto *w eel.4

Fig. 2 isa side view of the indicating device when detached, or when attached land indicatin tached, and indicating a, leak in the valve; and Fig. 4 isa longitudinal, diametricsection of the cap of the valve stem detached.

'In ythe drawings 1 designa-tes the rim of inner tube, and v4 the valve stem of' the inner tube of a pneumatic tire of an auto wheel.

The valve stem 4 is ofv,the standard form andconstruotion used with the inner tubes of pneumatic tires, and is provided with the standard flexible pressure testing valve 5, in-

l serted and detachably and internally threaded into the top end of the stem said' stem having` a cap 6 adapted to be run on an ex-` ternall'y threaded top end portion of the stem. I

The detector device 7 compr1ses a nozzle 8 having an internally threaded nipple 9, projecting from the knurled head portion 10,

My inventionrelates a leak locatingl that the leak is in the inner tube. Fig 3 1s a similar View of the device at- I the cap 6 is removed from the stem 4 the detector device 7 may be attached thereto by running the nipple 9 onto the outwardly threaded end portion of the stem with the end of the stem compressing the packing 16.

When so attached, if there is a leak in the valve of the stem, the sack 13 will at once begin to show an expansion, and thereby indicate that there is a leak in the valve of the steril, which being corrected by removing the valve 5 and substituting a new one, the pump is applied t0 the stem, and the tire is reinfluted and the indicator being again attached, if there is no inflation of the sack 13 it indicates there is no longer any leak in the valve.

'usl

If, however, there is still a loss of pressure in the tire, it is definitely indicated that .there was also a lea-k in the inner tube, which shows leakage, the location of the leak,

whether in the valve or a puncture of the inner tube can be definitely known, as hereinbef'ore described, before removal of the tire, whereby loss lof time and labor in useless removal of the tire when the leak is in the valve alone is wholly avoided.

' lVhat I claim to be new is- .A device of the kind and for the purpos described, comprising a collapsible and inflatable vsack having a reduced neck portion and a nozzle having a hollow stem portion' inserted into `and non-leakably secured to the neck portion of the sack and .a coupling nipple portion, adapting the nozzleto be LOUIS THIEM. 

